Curb appeal is the first impression people get when viewing your home from the street. Ask yourself the question: does my home and front landscape draw people in with order, balance, color and interest or seem untidy, disorganized and colorless? It is particularly important to address curb appeal if you are selling your house. But even if you are not, why not take the time to make your front more welcoming? Spring time is the best time to add some sparkle and attraction to your front yard landscape.
Here are a few tips to get you started…
Focus on your Entrance – Think beyond neutral, and paint your front door an eye-catching color. Clean or update your front door hardware and outside light fixtures. Hang a wreath on the door that coordinates with the paint color and purchase a fresh, new welcome mat. Give the front door a place of importance by placing two large urns with plants/flowers on either side of the door. Add window boxes on front windows for color and a European flair.
Prune Foundation Plants – Cut back and shape foundation shrubs so they do not hide your front windows and your entrance. Thin out shrubs that are growing too close together, and remove those that are diseased or are too large for the space. Remove trees growing too close to the house. Limb up large trees to create a nice canopy and allow additional sunlight to your lawn area.
Give Attention to your Lawn – The front lawn is usually the largest area, so give it some special care. Get a soil analysis to find out what nutrients your turf needs, and then add these important amendments, as instructed in the report. Keep your turf trimmed and edged for a neat and attractive appearance. If turf grass doesn’t grow because of the shade, consider creating mulched garden beds instead.
Update Garden Beds – Update the garden beds closest to your home’s entrance first. Here plant colorful annuals and flowering and fragrant perennials. Consider updating foundation shrubs, if they are old and not performing well. Select just a few different plants for your design, based on the sunlight requirements, and repeat the same plants throughout to give a cohesive look. Mass plant several of the same plants together for a bigger impact. Place plants that will grow large in the back of the bed, medium size plants in the middle and small plants near the front. Finish off by mulching all your planting beds for a neat and finished look.
